1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a docking device for aiding in docking a boat, more particularly, to a resilient docking device contacting a boat and flexing in response to wave action and the motion of the boat.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Docking devices and boat guards for guiding a boat into a dock and protecting a boat, when docked, have been proposed. However, the prior devices are cumbersome and have many moving parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,182,400 issued to Angelo Montanari on May 9, 1916 discloses a buffer for ships including a plurality of buffer wheels for contacting a ship. U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,946 issued to Dunaway Walker on Aug. 25, 1959 discloses a boat fender or bumper for use in receiving the thrust of a water craft during berthing, tying a boat to a dock or tying a boat to another boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,517 issued to Currie Bell on Apr. 9, 1963 discloses a dock attachment or bumper device including a roller 26 urged toward a boat by compression spring 21. U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,685 issued to Edward Kulick, Sr. on Aug. 25, 1964 discloses a shock absorbing bumper for boats and docks including a plurality of rollers 20. U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,536 issued to Glen Drewett on Oct. 23, 1984 discloses an adjustable length shock absorbing arrangement for a marine structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,702 issued to Lloyd Capps on May 19, 1992 discloses a boat and dock guard for use to store a boat therein. According to the Capps device, first and second intermediate guards may be used to direct a boat to a pair of padded stop members secured to a dock front.
Tokuaki Tanaka in Japanese patent document 3-273993 A dated Oct. 15, 1991 discloses a device for shortening the positioning time of a leisure boat. The device is described as including rubber rollers which engage the sides of a boat. Tokuaki Tanaka in Japanese patent document 3-231094 A dated Dec. 5, 1991 discloses a device for positioning a boat in a landing pier. A plurality of air bags 2 may contact the boat.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.